Sammy had cataract surgery
 

Today our oldest furbaby had cataract surgery on both eyes. We have picked him up from the vet and he is still very groggy and can't stand up yet. Poor pup. He will be by my side for the next few weeks, no jumping, playing, running or rough activity. The vet said the surgery went well and in time he will have his vision back. He is a real trouper. I am so glad that all went well with surgery today, I guess I was worried about him and the outcome.

Great! I know how you must be so relieved. Your dog came out of surgery okay;

I surely hope all goes well with his recovery

Share when you can, how he is doing

I am glad surgery went well and hope his recovery goes smoothly.

I don't know if people cataract surgery and animal surgery are the same but I had the surgery 3weeks ago and I can see perfectly. Can't wait for the other eye to be done. Did your baby get a new lens? I had a dog years ago that had cataract surgery and it only lasted one year before he went blind. I am sure the surgery techniques have improved since the 80's.

Sending good thoughts that he will be able to see well

I am very happy to hear that Sammy's cataract surgery was a success! Wishing him a speedy and smooth recovery. He is a lucky boy to have a great mom looking after him.

I know it is hard limiting activity, but it will be well worth it.

So happy to know everything went well. I'm sure with your loving care, he will be back to 100% in no time!

he cried most of the night... poor baby. he hates the cone... we took him out around 3:30 am and that made him feel better. I slept on the floor with him, and this morning when we awoke, guess what..... he had the cone off and was sleeping like a baby... cone went back on and he was not happy. He did take his meds like a good pup, (7 different things) and is now sleeping beside me. We also got him to eat some food which is a good sign, (chicken/rice homemade) but haven't been able to get him to drink...(I added extra water to the chicken so I feel at least he is getting some water)...

Oh, poor baby. It's so hard when they don't know why we are doing this to them. Hope he drinks soon and gets used to the cone. How long does he have to wear it?

Sammy
 

Poor little Sammy, this surgery and post op recovery is hard on him and you!
I have been through this and my dog soon got used to the cone, even for sleeping. It was the lengthy and tedious eye drop and oral meds schedule that was wearing. It is worth the effort as the surgery is successful and he will be able to see well again. He will be over the anesthetic and trauma very soon and you will all settle into the medication regimen. He does need to follow the post op instructions to the T to ensure there is no inflammation and to ensure healing. The surgery is so much more delicate with dogs than it is for humans, and it is so hard to keep them happy and quiet for the recovery period.
Prayers for little Sammy and hope he heals well and soon.

Poor boy. You are so sweet to lie on the floor with him.

I'm happy to hear Sammy is doing well taking his meds. Good boy!

I agree with you that he is likely getting enough water with his fresh food and what you add to it, so don't worry about him drinking less.

I'm so glad to hear that Sammy is doing well. Oliver had cataract surgery on only 1 eye a little over a month ago but the vet didn't do the other eye yet. I know the post op period is very rough. I went through it. Thank goodness Oliver is down to eye drops twice a day now. He was so unhappy with the cone on but he healed well and it was taken off after a week. I know how you feel because I went though the same thing. Well we send Sammy and you our love. Give Sammy a big hug from Oliver.

hope he feels better soon

Day 2 of Sammy's recovery. He is eating well, and drinking the chicken broth.... (I only put enuf in the water to flavor the water) and is sleeping most of the time. The meds make him tired which is good for him because it is easier for his eyes when they are closed. So far it has been a very uneventful day, just keeping quiet.

Happy to hear Sammy's recovery is going well and that he is resting.

Glad sammy is doing better!

ok I have a question..... Sam had his surgery on Friday and we brought him home, he is eating and drinking and peeing but has yet had a bowel movement and this is three days... is this normal, should I be concerned? He is still on pain meds so he is sleeping alot and won't walk very much (too tired) tomorrow is the last day for pain meds... we go back to the vet on Friday.... should I call the vet tomorrow if he still has not gone?

Sammy
 

It is always better to at least call the vet when you are concerned. The fact that Sammy is eating, drinking and peeing is great. Sometimes pain meds can cause constipation and the vet could put your mind at rest there. I do worry that he is still so tired though, even with the meds. My boy after cataract surgery did not appear tired after a day or so, but it is possible he does not react well to anesthesia and needs more time to get it out if his system.
If it were me I would call the vet tomorrow and see what he says about your concerns. Hope he is adapting to the cone and eye/oral med regimen. Perhaps tomorrow will be a charm and a little poop will appear to ease your worries.

thank you the info dottiesyrky..... My sweet husband went to the store and got him some pumpkin and he ate about two teaspoons of it, maybe that will help him. I didn't know they would get constipation. He hate the cone, but is tolerating it. I keep him by my side at all times because if I don't he will try and get it off.... he is too smart for his own good sometimes. He can not see at all at this point but as the days go by I hope he will see much better. I don't know how long it will take for him to get his vision back... he keeps bumping into things at this point.

thank you all for your prayers and concern.... lex43 your furbaby is beautiful.... and Cherie6446, we find out on Friday how long he will be with the cone.... 14 to 28 days is the estimate...

You are right, the pumpkin may well get things going. Nice kind husband for going out to get the magic veggie. I suppose the digestive system is so empty prior to surgery that it takes a little while to get working again.
Sorry Sammy still hates the cone, my baby got used to it after a day or so and that was good as the "anal" eye vet made him keep it on for two months. Grrrrr. She sure erred on the side of caution. I do not know if it is the norm to not be able to see after surgery and would ask about that too. My boy only had one eye done so he could see from the other eye and he did not have trouble with bumping into things. One thing I have found is that the cone does tend to distort the vision from the sides and that affects how they see. Also I think the new lens does not work well for close vision, but is excellent for far vision.
It is good that my baby adapted well to the cone as he has to wear it a lot when he gets eye allergies, poor boy. He almost seems to be comforted by it, especially when he sleeps.....something to rest his head on!
Hope all is well by tomorrow when the pumpkin action gets going. LOL!

YEA!!!!!! the magic pumpkin veggie worked :) plus we took him to his favorite park and he was very happy to be there, smelling everything... good thing cause we knew he needed to walk to activate the bowels.... I am so relieved. Thank you Lord :) I bet he might just be more relieved then I am......

Magic pumpkin!
 

So happy it worked and that Sammy is behaving normally again. I bet he enjoyed his trip to the park. Keep up the good work, he is doing so well now.
Pat on the back for hubby who saved the day for little Sammy.

Hahaha! Yea! I am very happy for Sammy and you.

So happy to hear he's doing well!

I'm reading this thread with interest bc Wylie may have cataract surgery. It seems like those who've been through it say the recovery is just awful....can you explain why? Also, someone mentioned their vet made their dog wear the cone for TWO months - is that common? My gosh, Wylie would never deal with that. And lastly, what is the tedious post-surgery medication routine all about, and how long do you have to give these meds?

Cataracts
 

I just wrote a long(!!!) reply to your questions and the site froze. So I will make this shorter!
It seems that my experience with the post op care was more tedious than some here, so I hope others will give their experiences too.
The main issue was the number and frequency of both the eye and oral meds, and the time for which they had to be administered. Oral meds had to be coordinated with food also. Eye drops had to have a 15 min interval between each med drop. I found it hard to remember all the meds and times and had to make a spreadsheet with meds, times of day, meals, and days. I then marked off every time I gave a med. We started at 6 am and ended at 9pm. The poor dog was always being picked up for meds and became scared when we neared as he knew what was coming! He wore the cone constantly, but unlike some dogs mentioned on YT, he did not mind wearing it. The specialist vet was very anal about the post op care and it seems she was over cautious? The med frequency was high in the first few weeks but decreased gradually with time. After about 6 weeks the regimen eased off, but the cone was on for 2 months. Each time we had a re check visit we prayed there would be less meds and no cone, but we were usually disappointed. Apparently the risks of inflammation and glaucoma are greater for dogs than humans and steps have to be taken to prevent them. My dog had the surgery at 1.5 years old (an immature cataract in one eye) and is now over 4 yrs old. His last visit was in April and up to that time he had numerous follow up visits and anti-inflammatory drops every 3 days at least. It seems one always has to be watchful with dog cataracts!
I would just say that part of the problem was our expectations as to when it would be over. I wish the vet had given us the complete schedule at the start rather than update at every visit. But perhaps that would have depressed us too much! Perhaps it would be helpful to you to get the complete story?
The good news is that the surgery part is successful and that is the important thing.
I am sorry that your dog may have to go through this, but he will be able to see well again and that is great.
If there is any more info I can give please PM me.

Dottiesyrky, you have some great info and are right on with your advice. The surgery and aftercare require strict commitment to your furbaby. Again I can't thank you enuf for the pumpkin recommendation. And the walk to the park (even tho he was scared) he enjoyed the smells. No he can't see yet but this is only day 5 so we still have alot of recovery ahead of us. Thank God for his recovery also.... we didn't think Sammy would go for the cone either, he is a little bullheaded. He is getting used to it now, I have to remember I am the human here to help him and he is the baby... yes, we watch him every second of the day, because he will try and get it off, but it is my job to make sure he doesn't, I feel like a meanie, but that is ok too.

Thank you for your kind words, but I cant take credit for the pumpkin idea. LOL! Thought it was your hubby's idea! So glad you all are getting used to the routine and that Sammy is doing so well under your watchful care. He will love the cone in the end, trust me! Hope he continues to improve and enjoy his walks and smells.
We should form a Cataract Survivors Club as we need all the support and understanding we can get! One day at a time and the days do get better.

I don't get my baby until July, but I have been reading here ALOT, lol. I really admire your dedication and love you all give to these dogs. Thread after thread contains really good advice but above all you support each other when someone is struggling with something. Great job, and I will keep reading.